Dynamite posts second highest number in its history, edges Raw in 18-49

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Originally published at Dynamite posts second highest number in its history, edges Raw in 18-49

Riding a wave of momentum after the All Out pay-per-view, AEW Dynamite posted its second-highest viewership figures of all time.

The September 8th edition of Dynamite from Cincinnati was a massive hit with an average audience of 1,319,000 viewers and 681,000 (0.52) in the 18-49 demographic, per Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics and Showbuzz Daily.

Viewership increased by 26 percent and the 18-49 demo was up by 40.5 percent from last week’s go-home episode before All Out.

It was Dynamite’s best performance in overall viewers and the 18-49 demo since the show’s premiere on October 2, 2019, that averaged 1,410,000 viewers and 0.68 in 18-49.

Dynamite narrowly edged out Raw in the key 18-49 demographic this week with Raw averaging 678,000 viewers (0.52) in the demo on Monday night. Dynamite also topped Raw in males 18-49, males 12-34, and adults 25-54 and 35-49.

Dynamite dominated the cable chart on Wednesday beating Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (0.43 in 18-49), and The Challenge on MTV (0.34). Dynamite dominated in males 18-49 with 0.75 in that demo with Real Housewives and The Challenge registering 0.24 in the same demo for the second spot.

Following All Out, the show in Cincinnati was built around the first appearances for Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole on Dynamite, as well as Jon Moxley wrestling Minoru Suzuki, and Ruby Soho’s first match on the program.

All the key demos measured by Showbuzz Daily showed noticeable gains led by females 18-49 improving by 58 percent from last week, women 12-34 increasing by 54.5 percent, and adults 25-54 up by 41 percent. Adults 50+ increased by 9 percent and was the only key demo that didn’t see a double-digit increase.

Below is a breakdown of the key demos on Showbuzz Daily and comparisons with last week and this week’s Raw ratings from the Labor Day episode:

ADULTS 18-49
This week: 0.52 (+40.5 percent)
Raw: 0.52

FEMALES 18-49
This week: 0.30 (+58 percent)
Raw: 0.43

MALES 18-49
This week: 0.75 (+34 percent)
Raw: 0.61

ADULTS 18-34
This week: 0.26 (+18 percent)
Raw: 0.36

FEMALES 12-34
This week: 0.17 (+54.5 percent)
Raw: 0.31

MALES 12-34
This week: 0.32 (+39 percent)
Raw: 0.30

ADULTS 25-54
This week: 0.62 (+41 percent)
Raw: 0.60

ADULTS 50+
This week: 0.48 (+9 percent)
Raw: 0.93

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Love it. This will be happening more, especially with MNF set to take a chunk of the RAW audience every week for a while

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I don’t know. RAW and Smackdown were big and I know so many non traditional fans that tuned in because of hype and Punk and Bryan.

Not all loved it and were hooked. Too much Scorpio Sky and people they didn’t know and an abrupt main event with a guy (Suzuki) they didn’t know.

A few of them won’t be back. Not sure if this applies globally or not

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I guess we will see. I’m more talking about RAW continuing to sputter along and declining. Dynamite has been trending upward for a while, don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Now with MNF and RAW’s low quality I think it could hit all time lows soon.

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I want everyone to remember in no way shape or form is AEW Competition to WWE

(According to Vincent K McMahon, chairman of the board/bored)

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I wonder if when he said that he knew Daniel Bryan was going there. He probably did. Probably didn’t know about punk though

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Wow! Very impressive. That is what they call the Riho Effect.

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He had to have known because it was literally less than a month ago and Fox was already pissed about Punk.

If you hadn’t signed Bryan at that point in time how do you not realize where he’s going…or be bold enough to claim ignorance.
Add it to the long line of things he says on earnings calls that come back to crush him with his investor base

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I think they knew. If memory serves me right where Bryan signed was pretty much dependant on the Khan/Khan/NJPW negotiations. Once Nick Khan and NJPW couldn’t work out a deal, Bryan/AEW news broke shortly afterwards. Especially with his father in law being in charge of talent relations, I highly doubt they were not in the loop.

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If he knew both Brian and punk we’re going there to claim that they are not competition is blatantly lying either to everyone or to yourself or both

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I genuinely think he believes adding those guys are not competition or difference makers. Look at how he treated them

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I don’t know. He did treat both of them as world champions in the sense that they were both pushed heavily and he saw what kind of crowd reactions they got.

I mean he had to change the main event of wrestlemania 30 because of the reaction that Daniel Bryan was getting.

They were getting CM punk chants even seven years later every time people didn’t like what they were seeing. Also he was so over during part of his run that I can’t imagine Vince didn’t see value in him.

At the end of the day I think he knows both those guys are going to draw an audience but he feels that his product is probably superior and going to come out ahead. But I think when you know what that arguably the two biggest free agents out there are going to sign with the other company to come out and say they aren’t competition is disingenuous

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Bryan’s entire run from Mania 34 onwards was botched. He should have been the biggest star on the roster and was getting those kinds of reactions but he was stretchered in his return match and had to be saved by a McMahon.

Then they feuded him with Cass for some reason. His heel run was good but the money was him as a top baby face. He did little else but lose to guys like Gulak and Roman.

Punk was another completely mismanaged talent.

The point is Vince never saw them as top guys or even as high as the fans did and never pushed them to that degree. Therefore I doubt he cares that they left

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I definitely think in the beginning he didn’t see value in them.

I think Bryan is more complicated. They definitely were forced to push him after wrestlemania 30 but then his injuries hit. They were always worried that with his injuries he could never be the long-term guy because they didn’t believe he could carry the company long-term.

Even he himself has said that Vince was overprotective. Well I certainly agree he’s not the kind of guys inspiration and pushes and they didn’t do a great job with him I think the injuries also played a role in that. Certainly around the WM 30 time he was heavily pushed once they were all in on him.

Punk is very different. They clearly weren’t in on punk and then he won them over, but then the whole issue with trying to get rock and Cena 2 left a sour taste in punks mouth.

He was one of the longest reigning world champions ever so you can’t say they didn’t give him a push. However in the end it turns out they felt he was too difficult to work with. It seems like CM punk if he doesn’t get his way will bitch and moan and go home. Whether this happens in the AEW we will see, but clearly he felt he should be higher up on the card and they did not agree at that time.

I think eventually had he stuck around they would’ve pushed him again at some point to the title again.

Either way both guys, and John Moxley as well, they were pushed at one time as world champions. However you claim none of them were pushed to the extent they should’ve been, and all of them did eventually lose their push. So yes the WWE did not see the same value in these people that the fans and AEW do.

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The WM30 thing was something he was forced into - similar to what happened when Mysterio won the title at mania.

Look what happened to Bryan after - a feud with Kane.

Cena willing to do whatever Vince wanted warped his control and sense of a top guy IMO. Bryan and Punk also don’t have the size or look Vince likes - which is the most important factor.

They just aren’t top guys to him so he didn’t worry about them leaving.

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I respectfully disagree. Fox getting pissed about it and both Brock and Becky going to Fox suggests to me their dissatisfaction was heard.

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My impression is the WWE/FOX deal isn’t working out for either side. The ratings are fine but when this contract is over the sides part ways and WWE goes to whichever streaming platform (Apple, Prime) offers them the most money. No chance they renew. Adding Becky and Brock to SD was going to happen regardless of what AEW did.

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Can totally see Becky and Brock headed to SD either way, it peaked my interest as it relates to the behind the scenes stuff because Raw is so low on star power. Creatively and the situation they were in both made sense for SD.

It’s funny you mention the Fox deal not working…there is another rather large deal that is locked for more years than the TV rights that isn’t working…Analysts are questioning Peacock’s strategy and the service isn’t picking up as much steam post-launch as HBO Max (ironically owned by WarnerMedia. Some even question how serious Comcast is about Peacock).

I’m watching just how much WarnerMedia does with AEW. HBO Max is hot right now with some big HBO Hits, it’s using the HBO Brand for it’s platform so whether they incorporate wrestling shows will be interesting…and if so, do other streaming platforms covet their own Wrestling property and how do they feel about splitting rights with Peacock (a lower tier service)…

Imagine watching Smackdown on Amazon Prime or Netflix and then being sold on Peacock as the place to watch the PPV. Put yourself in the Service’ shoes, do you want to be directing people to Peacock for premium content when you are the superior brand and may now be giving users a reason to choose Peacock over your service. The more I tease it out the more I don’t buy what Nick Kahn is selling with Streaming now that the premium content is locked up beyond the TV rights deal. Short term move by WWE Management to sell the Network.

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Very good points. If anything, it would make more sense for SD to be on NBC.

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It will be very interesting to see what happens next week.

Well the show was a huge success it was mainly driven off the PPV. The show itself had a lot of issues if you were a new fan who hasn’t watched their product much.

You had a bunch of people on there that you really didn’t know like will Hobbs, Scorpio sky and really some stuff that wasn’t that interesting. It’s not like they set up a huge opponent for punk, they set up some dudes that are a huge step down from Darby.

Also, the main event was exquisitely rushed and you didn’t get the whole experience of Suzukis entrance. It didn’t make him feel like a huge star. It was a match that could have been great but instead was just rushed.

Really the only thing you’re likely to take away is the MJF promo stuff and the Omega and Bryan and Cole interaction.

Is that enough to convicne people to come back? Remains to be seen. But the show definitely could’ve been better if it was going to snare those new fans and turn them into long-term ones.

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